Greeley High principal says new cell‑phone practice boosted classroom engagement

Greeley High School Principal Carl Francis told the MSAD 51 Board of Directors on Jan. 16 that the high school has implemented updated handbook language and new classroom procedures to limit student cell‑phone use during instructional time.

School leaders said the change was not a new board policy but a staff recommitment to district policy JFCK, and that the updated handbook language asks students to place phones in designated holders during class while allowing limited use for instruction, during passing time and at lunch.

Francis said staff identified disengagement and distraction during the 2022–23 and 2023–24 school years and agreed last spring to reinforce language already in the district policy and to adopt practical classroom rules. "We purchased cell phone holders, and we conducted staff discussions and planning," Francis said, describing implementation last fall and early feedback this year.

Teachers have reported "an increase in engagement" and "less distraction," Francis said; two students who addressed the board during the presentation echoed that classroom discussion had improved. One student said the policy led to greater productivity: "It's made me realize how productive I am without my phone." Another student said some classes have returned to earlier levels of focus that had eroded in prior years.

Francis and students also told the board about challenges. Study halls were harder to enforce and are the area where use is "creeping back"; students also use device‑mirroring and other technology to access content during class. Francis said the high school is open to individualized plans for students with medical needs.

Board members and a parent speaker asked whether limiting phones simply shifts use to hallways or creates a rush to check devices when phones are returned at passing time. Francis said students initially grab phones at once but many are discovering they do not miss substantive content during class. The parent who spoke described social‑media access as the core concern and told the board that the policy change appears to be helping reduce that access.

The school said the policy language references district policy JFCK (devices for educational purposes) and that the superintendent authorized building rules to implement it. District staff reported a decline in discipline and social‑media incidents tied to the change but said monitoring will continue.

Board discussion focused on enforcement differences between middle and high school and on technology workarounds; Francis noted staff will continue to review classroom practice and student feedback.

Plans going forward include continued staff consistency across classrooms, communication with students about the policy "why," and monitoring to see whether study‑hall and hallway usage decreases as the year progresses.